BASELWORLD 2017: Hublot Techframe – A Ferrari Design for a Hublot watch Celebrating Ferrari’s 70th Anniversary
BASELWORLD 2017: Hublot Techframe – A Ferrari Design for a Hublot watch Celebrating Ferrari’s 70th Anniversary
To celebrate Ferrari's 70th anniversary, the Italian marque and its partner Hublot are presenting a new original collection. Conceived with the same approach used for designing a car at the Ferrari Design Centre and integrating Hublot’s watchmaking expertise, the Techframe Ferrari 70 years Tourbillon Chronograph opens a new chapter in the partnership that unites Hublot and Ferrari. The Techframe Ferrari 70 Years is available in three versions — King Gold, PEEK Carbon, and Titanium — each of which is produced in 70 limited editions. It is destined to be a collector's item.
Designed by Ferrari, crafted by Hublot. This is the principle that prevailed for the design and perfecting of the new Techframe Ferrari 70 Years Tourbillon Chronograph. A team effort that began with Ferrari in Maranello and ended in Nyon with Hublot. This new line in Hublot's collections is intended to offer a watch that is deeply rooted in Ferrari's DNA—combining strength, performance and agility—while being produced and perfected by the Hublot manufacture. A perfect fusion of the automotive and watchmaking worlds.
The Ferrari Design Approach
Created and designed by Ferrari, under the leadership of Head of Design Flavio Manzoni, the new Techframe Ferrari 70 Years Tourbillon Chronograph is like one of the super cars produced in Maranello. And with good reason: this watch was designed by Ferrari using the same creative processes as that used to develop a new sports car. The starting point for the designers was the Hublot movement—the “engine” of the watch—around which they freely designed a high performance chassis. Like that of a Ferrari, its lattice structure—that is unique in the world of watchmaking—offers maximum strength for minimal weight.
"The styling of the Techframe Ferrari 70 Years Tourbillon Chronograph underlines the performances of the watch and no component is there by chance", explains Flavio Manzoni. Thus, the black structure on the dial holds the chronograph counters and offers excellent legibility. The crown at 4 o'clock —raised by a black PVD Titanium insert decorated with the famous Prancing Horse—reduces the size of the watch to the greatest possible extent, and increases its aerodynamic look. Finally, the red push-button is strategically placed to facilitate its use—even when driving—and makes the design more ergonomic.
The Hublot manufacture took this design by Ferrari and applied its expertise in engineering, materials and watchmaking, to make these aesthetic and technical concepts feasible. The result is a chassis case with a modular construction of three components—skeleton middle, container, and back cover—that is true to the styling imaged by Ferrari. Available in King Gold, Titanium versions, the new Techframe Ferrari 70 Years Tourbillon Chronograph is also offered in PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone) Carbon, a multi-layer hypo-allergenic material—made from particularly long carbon fibres—that is extremely durable and reliable. An essential for this very open case. This is not the only innovation: two lateral push-buttons make it easy to change the strap, whilst offering maximum security. As with all of the coloured components of this new Techframe, the two lateral push-buttons are made in the famous P485 Ferrari red. The back cover of the case is engraved in black with "Limited Edition, No. XX/70", and the sapphire back is adorned with "Ferrari 70 Years”.
Under the bonnet of this thoroughbred
Beyond its design, which is true to Ferrari’s design philosophy, Techframe Ferrari 70 Years Tourbillon Chronograph is the epitome of fine watchmaking. Under the bonnet of this thoroughbred is a Tourbillon Chronograph driven by a movement that was designed and developed by Hublot: the new HUB6311 calibre with manual winding—253 components — offers 5 days of power reserve. The single-button chronograph—one button for the start-stop- reset functions—that is considered as the best of the best by specialists, is handled by an original lever in Ferrari red anodised aluminium.
Treated with ruthenium anthracite, this finely tuned “engine” also stands out by its imposing tourbillon that is visible on the dial. Thanks to an ingenious construction principle, this innovative mechanism offers both the aesthetics of a flying tourbillon and the operational stability of a tourbillon with two pivot points. This double advantage is made possible by a sapphire crystal, which is practically invisible, placed above the cage that rotates once a minute and holds the upper part of the tourbillon using a bridge.
The Ferrari logo is clearly visible at the 9 o'clock position whilst the Hublot logo is at 5 o'clock. The sapphire dial reveals the cutting edge mechanics that it shelters, and an external raised section holds the timer. A matt black block designed by Ferrari, affixed to the sapphire holds a race-inspired twin half-second counter at 3 o'clock, the minutes counter at 11 o'clock and the column wheel at 1 o'clock—the brain controlling this sleek chronograph with tangential coupling.
The highly technical interchangeable black rubber strap is fitted with a folding clasp with a cover in PVD titanium with a plate decorated with King Gold, PEEK carbon or titanium, with the Hublot logo.
Already a collector's item
The fruit of an intense and unique collaboration between car designers and a fine watchmaking manufacture, the sleek Techframe Ferrari signals a new era in the partnership between Ferrari and Hublot. Produced in three versions—King Gold, PEEK Carbon, and Titanium—each in 70 limited editions, this new timepiece is already a collector's item.